Experienced Dental Professional

Month: July 2015

A partner at the Aesthetic Dentistry Group in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Nicholas “Nick” Rauber, DDS, graduated from Louisiana State University. When he was a teenager, Dr. Nick Rauber founded the Swollfest Fishing Rodeo, the proceeds of which benefit a number of charities, including the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

Founded 75 years ago, the American Diabetes Association is committed to providing advocacy, information, services, and research funding to help people affected by type 1 and type 2 diabetes. With information resource programs and advocacy work impacting millions of people every year, the association continually looks for ways to improve lives in the future by funding and leading innovation in diabetes research.

Since 1952, it has helped fund almost 4,500 projects with over $700 million, including investigator-led research, training, and collaborative projects focused on a single aspect of the disease. Some of its recent research breakthroughs include a smart insulin patch capable of monitoring blood sugar and releasing insulin as needed, an artificial pancreas to treat issues related to low blood glucose, and exploration of the link between heart disease and diabetes. The ADA also supports doctors by providing clinical practice guidelines, patient education materials, journals, and books.

A dentist at the Aesthetic Dentistry Group in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Dr. Nick Rauber is also the founder of the Swollfest Fishing Rodeo, a large charity event that supports the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the American Diabetes Association. In addition, Nick Rauber, DDS, serves as a Baton Rouge Chapter board member of the Coastal Conservation Association in Louisiana.

Founded in 1977 in response to commercial overfishing, the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) participates in many activities to protect coastal resources for the enjoyment of future generations. In 2015, country music star Kenny Chesney visited the CCA’s man-made reefs in the St. John River in Jacksonville, Florida. The CCA used funds raised through its partnership with Chesney to build two reef sites, each measuring 200 feet by 200 feet. As Chesney noted during his visit, the reefs had strengthened the quality of life in the St. John River.

The two reefs, located approximately 20 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean, provide vital habitat and improved fishing opportunities. Through activities such as these, which the CCA runs in 17 participating states, the organization hopes to promote the evolution of healthy ocean and beach environments for the future.

A Louisiana native, Nicholas (Nick) Rauber, DDS, currently practices at the Aesthetic Dentistry Group. In addition to his career as a dentist, Dr. Nicholas Rauber leads Swollfest, a nonprofit event he founded to raise vital funding for a variety of charitable initiatives, particularly diabetes education and research.

A principal cause of kidney failure, diabetes also contributes to hypertension, blindness, heart attacks, and strokes. It is the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S., affecting 29.1 million Americans as of 2012. Of these, 1.25 million cases consist of type 1 diabetes. Nearly a third of these cases are undiagnosed. Nearly 16 percent of American Indians and Alaskan natives have been diagnosed with diabetes, giving this group the highest rate of diabetes cases by race or ethnic background. Non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics follow at 13.2 and 12.8 percent respectively.

According to the American Diabetes Association, $245 billion was spent across the nation in 2012 to treat diagnosed cases. This total includes $69 billion in reduced productivity and $176 billion in direct medical costs. While treatments are available to manage and control it, no cure has been discovered for type 1 and type 2 diabetes.